Letters to the Editor: Feb. 16

Free Press Readers

Updated: February 15, 2018

Figure skating coach Bruno Marcotte and his wife, Canadian figure skater Meagan Duhamel, pet their dog Moo-tae in South Korea. The Olympic pairs skater rescued a puppy from the Korean dog meat trade while competing in Pyeongchang last year, and she's helping organize more adoptions while skating there at this year's games. (EK Park/Free Korean Dogs via AP)

When I was a baseball umpire at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics, the American umpire and I noticed almost no dogs out and about. When we asked our hosts, we were told the terrible truth.

Thankfully, there are journalists at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games such as Christie Blatchford of Postmedia who are writing about the ugly side of the Games.

Jim Cressman

London

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Hotel tax unwelcome

After gouging property owners with an unreasonable tax increase that is almost double the inflation rate, it is shameful that this mayor and council are poised to gouge visitors with a four per cent hotel tax.

Having spread the welcome mat for illegal immigrants who come to London seeking sanctuary at the expense of taxpayers, this same administration slaps the face of visitors who support the economy. If a hotel tax generates $2 million to $4 million, then visitors are spending $50 million to $100 million on hotel rentals. They also are spending millions in restaurants, stores, and entertainment venues, thus keeping a lot of Londoners employed.

This tax is nothing more than a cash grab and those who are benefitting from the money spent by visitors should work on making sure that current administration is not re-elected in the next election.

Frank Pontarelli

London

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Try medium speed rail

Regarding the online article Ontario’s high-speed rail project to be led by David Collenette (Feb. 13).

Where is the Wynne government going to get $21 billion for this project?

This project would see the destruction of an estimated 60 farms and disruption of numerous small towns. How many houses and businesses in London would have to be torn down to make way for the rail line? What about communities like St. Marys and Stratford that would be without service?

Perhaps we should learn from Michigan. Michigan has upgraded existing rail lines to 110 mph in the first stage. The goal is 125 mph. They will soon double the trains to Chicago from eight trains to 16. We can do this ourselves.

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